A Nightmarish Encounter
by Bailation
Summary: This story has the same first 2 chapters as my other story, "Eternally Forever", but with a rather different ending. Ron is unable to save Hermione from Malfoy Manor, which leads to a rather huge relief on Ron's part in the end.
1. Chapter 1

"STOP OR SHE DIES!"

Bellatrix Lestrange stood supporting Hermione, who seemed to be unconscious, holding a short knife to her throat.

"Drop your wands!" she demanded to Harry and Ron. "Drop them or we'll see how filthy her blood really is!"

Ron stood rigid still clutching Wormtail's wand. Harry froze too, holding Bellatrix's.

"I said drop them!" Bellatrix pressed the blade to Hermione's throat; beads of blood appeared there.

"Alright!" Harry yelled. He dropped Bellatrix's wand, Ron did the same with Wormtail's, silently praying that Hermione was alright. She looked awfully pale, but Ron could not think the worst – he would not allow himself to do so…

"Right, Draco, pick them up!"

As Draco picked up the wands, an evil grin spread across Bellatrix's face. She exchanged the look with Fenrir Greyback, who looked sick with anticipation; he was practically drooling at the sight of Hermione's exposed neck. Ron wanted to attack him at that very moment; he never wanted anyone looking at Hermione like that.

"Greyback, I don't believe I have further use for this young Mudblood," said Bellatrix, a look between disgust and bright amusement on her face. "I think you may have her."

"NOOOOO!"

Ron's yell of protest was ignored by Bellatrix, who tossed Hermione to the ground, where she fell like a sack of potatoes. Ron tried to run to her, knowing what was to come next, but no less than four Death Eaters had threw spells at him and Harry; they both found themselves bound with thick rope at the feet of the Death Eaters, squirming to free themselves.

Greyback roared his repulsive approval and attacked. He sank his teeth into Hermione's throat, and Ron screamed louder than he had ever done that night, now openly sobbing. He was faintly aware of the Death Eaters roughly pulling him to his feet and holding him back, and the same was being done with Harry. But he couldn't tear his eyes away from Hermione, who was unconscious, and who had no idea she was being torn apart by a werewolf…

"STOP! _STOP!_" yelled Ron, wrestling the Death Eaters with all his might, trying desperately to throw them off…

"GET _OFF_ HER!" He could _not _lose Hermione…not after all they had been through…not after she had finally forgiven him for leaving…

But as Ron watched Greyback sink his fangs deeper into Hermione's neck, he knew it was a lost cause. There was no way they were getting out of this alive. They were going to kill Hermione…

There was a sudden great _BANG _directly above Ron, as if someone had landed on the roof of the Manor. Not even a moment after, the crystal chandelier that hung several feet above suddenly fell on top of the Death Eaters holding Ron and Harry. Ron immediately grabbed the wand that had fallen from one of the Death Eater's hands and pointed upward towards the ropes that were strapping his arms tightly to his body. _"Diffindo!"_

The ropes fell from his body and before the Death Eaters around him could react to what he was doing, Ron had Stupefied Greyback, gathered Hermione in his arms, grabbed Harry by the ropes that were still binding him and Disapparated.

Ron's thoughts turned to only his destination as the awful sensation of Disapparating squeezed his insides…_Shell Cottage…Shell Cottage…Bill and Fleur's…_

He opened his eyes. Hermione was unconscious in his arms and Harry was at his side, still bound by the ropes. They were safe.

But something was wrong…something was very wrong…

"Hermione!" yelled Ron, shaking her. Her skin was a ghostly pale gray, and the deep bite marks on her throat were bleeding freely. Realization suddenly struck Ron and the horrific evidence of the truth lay before him, in the form of Hermione…

"No! _NO! Hermione!" _ Ron shook her harder still, willing her to wake, to show some kind of sign that she was alive and he was not alone…

He felt a hand on his shoulder and knew Harry had wrestled himself out of the ropes, but he took no notice. He lowered his head to her chest, where he listened the hardest he had ever done for a heartbeat. He heard nothing.

Now allowing himself to sob, Ron hugged Hermione's body to his own, realizing that Hermione Granger, the girl with whom he had laughed, cried, and argued, but also the girl whom he had learned to love more than anything else, was dead.


	2. Chapter 2

The funeral was held several days later, in a hidden graveyard close to Hermione's former home. It had been difficult inviting guests because almost everyone was hiding from Voldemort, especially the Weasleys. Nevertheless, everyone came, and all of them agreed to keep it quiet; Voldemort was still at large, and one false move could lead to another death.

Hermione's parents were still in Australia, so her house was empty, though it looked like it had been broken into, and Ron knew the Death Eaters had searched the house not long after the Grangers had left it. Her parents, Ron was certain, still were living happily in Australia as Wendell and Monica Wilkins with no idea they had a daughter, or that their daughter was dead.

Ron sat in the front row with Harry on his right side and Ginny on his left, feeling oddly numb. He had gotten used to the feeling; it had been what he had been feeling in the last few days.

Hermione's body lay in front of them in an open casket, but at the moment, it was obscured by a mass of onlookers. Molly Weasley had been able to fix up her many scars and bite marks with her wand, so Hermione now looked unharmed and peaceful.

Ron rose from his seat with difficulty; he was finding it more troublesome to find the will to even move these days. He fought his way through the crowd and they all seemed to part for him. And without further ado, the crowd that had previously been so interested to see Hermione, shuffled past him and found their seats. They wanted to give him time alone with her.

Ron finally saw Hermione, her hands folded over her chest and a slight smile on her face. It was at the sight of her body, immobile with no signs of life at all, that the horrific realization struck Ron like a Bludger to the head.

Hermione was dead. _Hermione_ was dead. He had known this for the last several days, but it hadn't hit him as the truth until he saw her in that coffin, the same body he had hugged, danced with, even slept next to once or twice during their Horcrux hunt.

The tears were coming faster than ever as the terrible truth sunk deep into Ron. How could he have let this happen? Hadn't he promised himself and Hermione, precisely at Dumbledore's funeral to be exact, that he wouldn't allow anything to happen to her in the months to come? What had gone wrong? Why hadn't they taken him to torture rather than Hermione? It would've been a lot less painful than this…

Another thought suddenly struck Ron as he stared at Hermione. He had never told her how much she meant to him because he had been too much of a coward to witness her reaction. Now, he could never tell her how he loved her more than anything else.

But surely she had loved him too? Harry had told him that she had cried for a week when he, Ron, had left…Ron cursed himself for thinking of that stupid night he had decided to leave, when he had already promised he would protect Hermione through the war…

All the regrets and feelings of guilt swirled through Ron as he thought of all the things he had wanted to say to Hermione for so long. And now it was too late. More tears streaked Ron's already damp face, and he reached out a hand to gently stroke Hermione's hair for a last time.

"I love you," he whispered to her, not caring who was listening behind him. He bent down and laid a tender kiss on Hermione's forehead before turning back to fall back in his seat. He put his head in his hands and sobbed, sobbed for all the regrets he had, sobbed for everything he hadn't done that he wish he had, and, especially, sobbed for Hermione.


	3. Chapter 3

Ron let out a rather large gasp as the cold sweat on his face woke him with a start. He was breathing hard; the emotional intensity of the dream had overworked his nervous system.

But had it been a dream? Ron lay with his eyes wide, staring at the wall and racking his brains. The reality of his life started to sink in. He was twenty years old. The war had ended a little over two years ago, and he had rescued Hermione from Malfoy Manor with the help of Dobby…hadn't he?

Yes, he had. He knew he had because as he rolled over on his other side, he was met by Hermione's sleeping body lying next to him. Ron visibly relaxed and let out a sigh of relief. She would never know how much it meant to him to see her safely sleeping next to him. He gently wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. She stirred on his chest and opened her brown eyes to meet his blue ones. She smiled and read the apparent anxiety on his face. "What's wrong?"

Ron hesitated. "Nothing," he assured her. "Just a nightmare."

Hermione raised an eyebrow. They both had been having nightmares since the war, along with Harry and hundreds of others who had survived the war. "What about?"

"It's not important, Hermione," smiled Ron. "Not anymore."

"Try me."

Ron sighed huffily. "It was just a repeat of Malfoy Manor, except…I didn't get to you in time."

Hermione smiled sadly and gently kissed his lips. "It's alright. That's not going to happen again, and you don't have to worry."

"I know," said Ron seriously, leaning his forehead against hers. "Because I won't allow it to happen again. Nothing bad will ever happen to you again, Hermione. I promise."

He kissed her lips for the last time that night and tightened his hold around her. She snuggled into the nape of his neck and Ron fell asleep soundly for the first time in years.


End file.
